Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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gil
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contract lambing | VSS wrote: | | crofter wrote: | | My own lambing is not due to begin for another couple of weeks and, oddly, I'm looking forward to it! |
Nothing odd about looking forward to it at all! Its the best time of year. If you're really mad (like me) you even go looking for extra lambing work, hence why I've spent 5 months / year lambing, every year for years! . |
Started this year's lambing work today (seeing as I don't have any of my own at the moment). Grand, innit ! Been looking forward to it for a while now.
Oddly enough, my early shift started with dealing with an overnight mismothering (no night lamber at the mo, cos only just beginning).
Pen shortage for new mums and lambs because of cold weather which is delaying putting older ones out of the shed. Which backs up to a problem with 'aunties' trying to pinch newborns in the bigger pens.
Not that busy yet. Reckon tomorrow onwards will see it into full swing.
I'll post some photos when I find the camera.
Anyone else here do contract lambing / work for other farms ?
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Pel
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Lambing is quite fun, only done night time though, so don't really get to see fluffy lambs, just the gooey ones, and orpahn lambs that still have bobbly wool
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Marionb
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I love lambing 
When I lived at home, I always went round the sheep at about 6am in the mornings before school - quite a trek as all the sheep lambed outside on a hill farm and my Dad never tried to keep them particularly handy to the house....  Also all my time after school and at weekends would be spent helping with the lambs.
When I got married I took a week off work and we stayed the week at my parents, even took the kids up (cots and all when they were babies).
However since they've retired there's no longer any need for all this upheaval  . We have however moved to a small smallholding just a mile from my parents so I am more involved with the sheep than we have been for years.
There are jobs advertised round here for lambing help but they are usually for a month or so and I cant really use up all my annual leave from work in one go. Also, to be very honest, I think everyone has their own way of dealing with lambing, and it can be difficult to work for someone who has different ideas to your own. I have helped neighbours out on occasions and found it difficult when they didnt seem to 'care' about the ewes or lambs as much as I do.
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Rob R
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| Marionb wrote: | | There are jobs advertised round here for lambing help but they are usually for a month or so and I cant really use up all my annual leave from work in one go. |
I did Never regretted it. Three solid weeks (50% on, 50% off) was my first ever lambing with 1400 ewes- talk about jumping in at the deep end 
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gil
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Yeh, my first 'proper' lambing was 1100 ewes for three weeks. Deep end, as you say.
Not quite sure how this year will work out. Looks like a week on, a week off, and a week on; but I might be night lambing week 2. The full-time inbye shepherd left a couple of months ago, and hasn't (yet) been replaced. It's a bit disorganised as yet, but I'm sure we'll get sorted out.
Know what you mean about every farm having different methods, marionb.
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Bebo
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Timely post as I've just walked back from my neighbours sheds where they are lambing now. There usual helper is off at college this year so my OH has been helping them out. Just popped over and helped with feeding and watering the ewes so they could get on with bottle feeding. First time being involved with lambs for me (apart from cooking them).
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Lorrainelovesplants
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yep, did it last year and this year. Late Feb till mid March 610 ewes. I did 5 hours backshift for 3 nights of the week. loved it!
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gil
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We spent most of the morning dealing with the consequences of having no night lamber last night (loadsa ewes lambed in the night, and much mismothering and pinching occurred), and then gettting caught up with the morning's lambs, and building more pens. Ewes have decided to drop them like crazy. It's in full swing now.
Tonight, we do have a night lamber. Should be easier first thing tomorrow 
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Rob R
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What breeds are you lambing gil?
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gil
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| Rob R wrote: | | What breeds are you lambing gil? |
Allsorts :
mainly Greyface (Scotch Mules), Greyface x Texel, Blackface x Texel;
with some Berrichon, and Berrichon x Blackface, and Berrichon x Texel
.....and the children's 'pet' Wensleydales
Basically the result of the estate testing out various breeding policies over the last few years. Both for the hill (hence the homebred Blackie x Texel ewes), and the inbye. Berrichon crosses didn't seem to be too successful, so next year there will be some Cheviot-cross gimmers as well.
Blackie x Texel produces a surprisingly good-looking ewe  (I like continental breeds just about as much as you do, Rob  )
Much calmer first thing (what a tremendous difference a night lamber makes), though they're popping them out on all sides, and barely resting in the 'newly-lambed' pens long enough to mother up, and be iodined, ringed and numbered, before being put outdoors.
Weather is due to break here tomorrow - cold north wind and rain. Snow forecast for Saturday....
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Rob R
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We had a Texel 'pet', you have my sympathies He was the result of such a difficult lambing (like trying to squeeze a brick through a breeze block), but his mother didn't make it. He had a real character, folowing you round etc (hard to get away from the lambing shed at times) but was a pain to feed. He was cute though.
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gil
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The pet Wensleys are now fully-grown one-crop ewes, and the children have other interests
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